The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The Free National Movement (FNM) and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) both have official websites.

However, unlike the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), not one of the two major political parties has an official Facebook page.

Facebook was created in 2004 by a Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg, and is the wave of the future among thousands of computer savvy Bahamians. That was seven years prior to the formation of the DNA. The FNM was formed in 1971, 40 years before the formation of the DNA. The PLP was formed in 1953, a staggering 58 years before the DNA was launched.

The DNA obviously grasps the importance of this social and communication medium in getting its message across to the masses in our technological and computer age. DNA members have the luxury of interacting with the administrators of their Facebook page on national issues. And at times, DNA supporters are even afforded the opportunity to correspond with the top brass of their party.

This is important because it gives DNA politicians the opportunity to always keep in touch with the grassroots and the party base.

In Bahamian politics, there is always the lurking danger of becoming aloof and forgetting the small man who is responsible for you being in the House of Assembly. When it comes to Facebook, both the PLP and the FNM are behind the eight ball. In fairness to the FNM though, there are many Facebook groups out there claiming to be FNM.

Of all these groups, there is one I wholeheartedly believe is sincere in its claim of being FNM. The group I’m referring to is Blame Dem.

While FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis continues to be bludgeoned and ridiculed on one particular group calling itself FNM and by several contributors to the national dailies, Blame Dem has faithfully stood by Minnis’ side.

When it comes to some of these so-called FNM groups, you cannot really make heads or tails. I find it amusing that they consider themselves to be FNM. Yet when you post something positive about Minnis, they would delete the post or cuss you out or both. And then these FNM impostors have the breathtaking audacity to get offended when you question their political persuasion.

While the FNM has no official Facebook page, I honestly consider Blame Dem to be the de facto Facebook page of the opposition party, and this despite the group not having been endorsed by the leadership of the party.

For what it’s worth, I believe the FNM should reach out to Blame Dem with the view of forming an alliance.

The administrators of the said group are rabid FNMs who have made it unequivocally clear on many occasions that they are fully behind Minnis as leader of the FNM. If there is one Facebook group out there purporting to be FNM that Minnis can count on to watch his back, it is Blame Dem.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport, Grand Bahama,

January 12, 2014.